Working long hours increases heart disease risk

A study by University College London reported in the journal ‘Annals of Internal Medicine’ found that regularly working more than 11 hours per day, rather than the standard 9 to 5 working day, markedly increases heart disease risk.

Running over 25 years, the study tracked 7,000 UK civil servants aged 39 to 62 years of age. Those who worked 11 hours or more per day were found to be 67% more likely to have a heart attack than those who worked standard hours.

The study concluded that the UK’s long working hour’s culture may be a significant contributor to this major workplace health issue and that, if GP’s added working hours to their usual list of heart disease risk questions they might spot 6,000 more of these 125,000 people who suffer heart attacks each year in the UK.

“This should be a warning to all of us who regularly work long hours, especially if we exhibit other heart disease risk behaviours such as smoking or drinking too much; being overweight; not being active enough; or not eating healthily,” says Richard Holmes, Head of Employee Wellbeing.